Reader’s Poll say It’s A Wonderful Life

This was one of the most interesting reader’s polls we’ve done. Nearly every Christmas movie received a vote and the oldest movies were the most popular in our survey. I was sure a more contemporary movie, like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation or Elf, would have been chosen. The selections we used came from several internet polls, and we had never seen many of the older movies. In fact Sandy saw “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the first time last year and loved it. Given the national economy’s condition this year, the winning movie is as relevant today as it was 62 years ago. For next year, Santa brought us many of these movies on DVD so we can enjoy them with the boys every year.

The Temperamental Tourists

We left after Christmas to visit Sandy’s family at her parents’ Florida home. It was more difficult traveling with the boys this time. They didn’t like being strapped to car seats all day and preferred their freedom of movement to play. Who could blame them? Even when we stopped, they were confined by being strapped into roadside diner high chairs. We didn’t want them toddling around dirty public areas, so they had no outlet to burn off energy. The result was a lot of fussing and whining in the car. The toys Sandy handed them provided only temporary amusement. While they can’t talk yet, they were clearly communicating their displeasure with the situation, and when the babies are unhappy, everybody is unhappy. Our only relief came when they napped.

The Starter Baby

Pamela Paul coined the term “the Starter Marriage” in 2002 to refer to first marriages that last five years or less and end before the couple has children. The term is a play on the expression "starter home”. A spin on the term was used to title a new TV series called “The Starter Wife”. Extending that idea, one may label Uncle Steve as Daddy Dave’s “Starter Baby”. What little Daddy Dave knew about baby boys prior to the twins’ birth was garnered from his involvement in his little brother’s childhood development. With his big brother’s guidance and encouragement, baby Steve quickly picked up crawling, walking, running, throwing, catching, counting and more. That was many years ago, but judging by the fine man he is today, Dave has been prepared well to be a good daddy for Benji and Trey Davey.

The Edds’ Annual Christmas Party

Rarely do you find a room filled with 20 people who all share the last name Edds, but such was the case Saturday night at the Edds’ Family Christmas party. For Benji and Davey there were parents and grand parents, an Uncle and Aunt, two sets of Great Uncles and Aunts, one of their first cousins, four of their second cousins and three of Daddy’s first cousins. Pictured left to right are Aunt Erin, Cousin Levi, Mommy, Benji, and second-cousins Logan, Taylor and Abby. The annual party’s location rotates around the senior-Edds homes. Great Uncle Gene Ray Edds hosted this year’s party and it will be Granddaddy Edds’ turn next year.

Happy Fifth Anniversary Sandy and Dave

In the holiday movie The Family Man, Nicolas Cage plays Jack Campbell a rich, single Wall Street hot-shot who thinks he has everything he needs, but an angel gives him a glimpse of a parallel universe where he married his college sweetheart, settled down in the suburbs with children and worked an ordinary job. Living just a few weeks in this new life, he discovers the real happiness and unconditional love missing from his old life. I used to wonder where my career would be now if I’d gone to Tulsa in 1997 or Houston in 1998 or 2000 or Salt Lake City in 2002, or where my life would have been had I not returned Sandy’s e-mail in 2003. Luckily for me, God’s guardian angel guided me to a path away from my own where I found the most wonderful wife imaginable and two beautiful boys. Thank you, Sandy, for making me a family man.

Pirates of the kinder bin

As children Mommy and Daddy both remember the joy of building clubhouses. This was usually done by draping blankets over tables and chairs to create tike-sized hiding places. Grandmother and Granddaddy Edds thought the boys might enjoy a club house for Christmas and searched extensively for just the right kind. They choose a pirate theme because Daddy Dave loved pirates so much as a child. In fact, his room retained its buccaneer-themed decor until he left for college, but that’s another story. This pirate fascination has also been rekindled by the recent movies “Pirates of the Caribbean” staring Owensboro’s own Johnny Depp.

Merry Christmas

Grandma and Grandpa Edds said it was the best Christmas day they could remember because it was so joyful and lasted all day long. The boys don’t yet understand the concepts of Santa or Jesus’ birth; they were just excited by all the guests and activity. After a sticky-bun breakfast, we began opening presents. Each grandparent took a twin and opened gifts for them. Some children are more interested in the boxes than the gifts, but not ours. After opening each present they wanted to play with it, which was nice. Rather than tearing into the next package, they savored and appreciated each one. After a couple of hours, we took a break and the boys took their morning nap. Then following brunch, we resumed the unwrapping and playing. They went bonkers when we opened the giant stuffed puppy dogs that Grandma and Granddad Roe gave them, and couldn’t have been cuter toddling around the room entertaining everyone. When all the gifts had been opened, we took another break. Daddy took the boys for a country road ride so they would take their afternoon nap. Later, Al and Lisa Bell joined us for the amazing Christmas dinner Sandy prepared. We are so blessed.